Process for manufacturing briquettes



Aug. 24 1926. 1,597,571.

J. BEAUDEQUIN PROCESS FOR. MANUFACTURING BRIQUETTES Filed NOV. 29, 1924i I Jiz as)? 7- 0)" d (ficzwlsjea M a 27:

l. y I I Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNITED STATES JACQUES IBEAUDEQUIN, or PARIS, rrumcn.

PROCESS FOR MAN UFACTU'RING BRIQUETTES.

Application filed November 29, 1924, Serial No. 752,976, and in BelgiumDecember 3, 1923.

The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of combustiblebriquettes from carboniferous' substances, such as bituminous coal orthe like.

It has for its object more especially to enable combustible briquettesto be made of bituminous coal having the characteristics of anthracite.

, The process may be best understood when 1" described in relation toapparatus by means of which it is carried out, and reference istherefore made to the sole figure of the drawing which shows, partly inplan and partly in section one form of apparatus which 1 applicant hasfound practical for the manufacture of briquettes according to his novelprocess. s

In the drawing a represents an open-mold press into which the bituminouscoal is fed after having been suitably comminuted. The chamber of thispress has the shape and size of a briquette, into which chamber thecomminuted soft coal is fed and compressed by means of a piston, thebriquettes thus formed being forced into the tube a. This tube has thesame internal diameter as the briquettes, the latter fitting tightly thebore of the tube as they are progressively forced along by successiveimpulses of the piston.

Circular metallicplates, not shown, are fed into the press between eachcharge of carbonaceous material, said plates being substantially of thesame diameter as the internal diameter of the tube a and functioning asseparators, preventing the adherence of the briquettes one to another.The forward part of the tube 0 is heated by suitable means such as thefurnace e, the latter, in the illustrative embodiment of the apparatus,in-

40 eluding an oven or retort f which surrounds the tube a. The column ofbriquettes within the tube is under considerable pressure in alldirections, said pressure being transmitted by the piston of the pressand being resisted by the cylindrical walls of the tube and by thebriquettes in the discharge end.

of the tube. The object of heating the briquettes while under pressureis to render viscous or liquid the hydrocarbons or coal tars thereincontained, to cause these to permeate the intramolecular interstices ofthe briquette, transforming, in a few minutes, the bituminous coal intoa coal having anthracitic qualities. At this stage in the process themetallic separators perform the important function of heat conductors sothat the briquettes are uniformly heated thrlqughout to the temperatureof the tube wa s.

That part of the tube d which lies beyond the furnace has a coolingfunction, and in this part of the tube the metallic separators serveuniformly to dissipate the heat from the briquettes, thereby inducing agradual contraction and avoiding the cracking of the briquettes whichwould follow their unequal cooling. It is important that the briquettesbe cooled within the tube 0 and while under pressure, so that certain ofthe hydrocarbons which might be volatile at atmospheric pressure may becondensed by the cooling of the briquette before the pressure isreleased.

It has been found desirable in some instances to vent the tubec as bythe pipe 0 to ermit the escape of some of the gases which are volatilethroughout the entire process. v

In the drawing an auxiliary press I) has been introduced, whichapplicant has found convenient in applying the requisite pressure to thebriquettes in the tube 0. This auxiliary press may, however, beconsidered as a laboratory expedient, amounting merelyto a duplicationof the press a and being entirely unessential to the carrying out of theprocess.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The process for making brlquettes of anthracitic quality frombituminous coal/ 90 which consists in forming briquettes, foreing themsuccessively into and through a tube in a column which tightly fits thebore of said tube, heating the briquettes in a forward part of the tubewhile under pressure to arsufficient temperature to cause fluorescenceof the hydrocarbons therein contained cooling the briquettes while stillunder pressure in the tube.

2. The process for making briquettes of 100 'anthracitic quality frombltuminous coal which consists in forming briquettes, ar-

ran 'n conductive se arators in alternation wit t e briquettes, orcingthe briquettes successively into and through a tube in a column whichtightly fits the bore of said 5 tube heating the briquettes in theforward part of the tube while under pressure, to a suflicienttemperature to cause fluorescence still under pressure in the rearwardpart of 10 said tube.

In testimony whereof I afiizr my signature.

JACQUES BEAUDEQUIN.

